Biological activities and chemical composition of crude extracts from Chresta exsucca

Crude extracts of Chresta exsucca were investigated for their in vitro trypanocidal, leishmanicidal, antibacterial and antifungal activities. Trypomastigote forms of Trypanosoma cruzi, amastigote-like forms of Leishmania amazonensis and twenty strains of microorganisms including Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and yeasts were utilized in the bioassays. The best results were found for the leishmanicidal activity. The chemical composition of hexanic and ethanolic extracts of this species was determinate using chromatographic techniques as HRGC and HPLC-ESI-MS, respectively. Steroids, triterpenes and flavonoids were identified.